January? But the weather would be freezing cold. You know, I'm starting to doubt that Ice Cube grew up in a Stockholm suburb to working class parents Ulla and Greger.posted by Foci for Analysis at 1:39 PM on January 27, 2012 [2 favorites]

Wouldn't it be easier to narrow it down to those few days on which his AK-47 was not fired?posted by obscurator at 1:40 PM on January 27, 2012 [8 favorites]

Did he correlate this with the dates when the Goodyear blimp said "Ice Cube's a PIMP"?posted by King Bee at 1:40 PM on January 27, 2012 [40 favorites]

I've always seen the "Lakers beat the Supersonics" line as a meta-commentary on the state of the music industry circa 1993: at the time, Seattle's grunge aesthetic ruled the airwaves, but in the long run Cube knew that the gangsta rap movement spawned in the Los Angeles area would eventually dethrone it...posted by Ian A.T. at 1:46 PM on January 27, 2012 [12 favorites]

OK, as the offspring of a doctor, I challenge the assertion that beepers were not available before 1990. That said, this is still pretty great.posted by ulotrichous at 1:46 PM on January 27, 2012 [2 favorites]

Also, this needs to be a national holiday. Somebody get on that, STAT.posted by chara at 1:47 PM on January 27, 2012

We need to interview his homies and check out the triple double story, I don't know if I believe it.posted by Ad hominem at 1:47 PM on January 27, 2012 [1 favorite]

I am curious if this could be verified via other clues.posted by Nanukthedog at 1:48 PM on January 27, 2012

Ok, but Daft Punk haven't (yet) starred in selloutshitpiles that would require them to donate all of their profits from their earlier records to charity as an act of contrition towards their former fans.posted by Burhanistan at 1:57 PM on January 27, 2012 [1 favorite]

Ice T had a line like "A dead pig is always something to be happy about" in some film, right? Anyone remember what film? (I miss-read this one initially)posted by jeffburdges at 2:04 PM on January 27, 2012

[A couple comments removed. Boy oh boy do we not need to have another "I don't know what this is about but here are my opinions about rap sucking" discussion in this thread. It's totally fine to just move on to another thread.]posted by cortex at 2:05 PM on January 27, 2012 [27 favorites]

I did LAX 'cause 90001's report didn't include anything about atmopheric quality.posted by Edogy at 2:06 PM on January 27, 2012 [2 favorites]

Ok, but Daft Punk haven't (yet) starred in sellout shitpiles that would require them to donate all of their profits from their earlier records to charity as an act of contrition towards their former fans.

1) Tron Legacy was a pile of shit, but it was upbeat and pleasant to look at and went down easy.
2) They were just playing themselves in a cheeky fashion; they weren't banking on some previous street credposted by Burhanistan at 2:11 PM on January 27, 2012

bolstering the idea that this was january '92 - the predator was recorded from 91-92, according to wikipedia. death certificate was recorded released in '91 and ameriKKKa's most wanted was recorded in '89 and released in '90. so unless he held on to this song for 2 full albums, i agree that if it were an actual day, january '92 seems the most likely.

If the Goodyear blimp was over LA that day, my mind will have been blown...

The Goodyear Blimp's dock is by where the 110 hits the 405, and I see it all the time, so I'd say the odds are pretty good. Of course, most of the time it says "The World Famous is a pimp."

Ok, but Daft Punk haven't (yet) starred in sellout shitpiles that would require them to donate all of their profits from their earlier records to charity as an act of contrition towards their former fans.

I was 17 in 1992, about to graduate from the same high school previously attended by Boyz in the Hood director John Singleton. (I bet if I dug around in my box of diaries I could find some entries from right around then. Probably VERY EMO.) I can believe a January day would count as a "very nice day" -- for one thing, much less likely to be smoggy.posted by epersonae at 2:21 PM on January 27, 2012

One quibble: January 20th, 1992 was a Monday, while January 18th was a Saturday. Doesn't it seem more likely that Ice Cube would have been free from acting responsibilities on-set on a Saturday and not a Monday?posted by killdevil at 2:22 PM on January 27, 2012

I wish Biggie and Pac had lived long enough to make a bunch of sellout shitpile films.

That poseur grew up in a safe working class neighborhood and never had to use an AK.

According to Wikipedia he was born in South Central LA to a janitor and a groundskeeper and would have been a teenager around the time of the gang and crack explosion of the 80's. I have no way of knowing if he really was involved in activities analogous to using an AK, but he certainly would have witnessed such activities and would probably have had the opportunity to participate in them.posted by cmoj at 2:28 PM on January 27, 2012 [4 favorites]

Burhanistan: "They were just playing themselves in a cheeky fashion; they weren't banking on some previous street cred"

You think Cube was banking on his previous street cred as a gansta rapper to sell a family comedy? The guy has been in almost two dozen movies since 1991

The guy was banking on his rep as someone who appears in shitty movies such as GHOSTS OF MARSposted by danny the boy at 2:29 PM on January 27, 2012

When I think of Ice Cube the actor I think of Three Kings and do my best to forget most of the rest.

I'd kind of forgotten Cube was in Anaconda. John Voight's performance in that is a kind of black hole of acting, from which no other acting can escape.posted by The Card Cheat at 2:36 PM on January 27, 2012 [5 favorites]

When it comes to music, there is only one thing that matters: Is the music good? I don't get why anyone focuses on anything else.

NWA was great. Cube is great. He can be a white guy in blackface as far as I'm concerned -- it doesn't change a note of the music I loved back then, and still listen to today (so many great workout songs in his oeuvre!)

Despite the beeper thing, I think it's great to have a single day that will always be a good day. Some folks have 4/20, but I don't smoke pot. So 1/20 it is.posted by coolguymichael at 2:41 PM on January 27, 2012

I would like to apologise to my self for deciding to watch XXX 2 last night, I got what I deserved. I think we can definitively rule out any of the days he was filming that as being good days.posted by biffa at 2:50 PM on January 27, 2012

I had a beeper in 1985. For my summer job as a messenger.
I carried it everywhere.
I never got beeped, not once.
True story.posted by chavenet at 2:59 PM on January 27, 2012 [5 favorites]

Beepers were around before 1990. Sir Mix-a-lot was telling us about them in 1989. I'm holding out for 4/4/89.

More damningly, "Fuck tha Police" includes the line "Fuckin' with me cuz I'm a teenager / With a little bit of gold and a pager," and it was released in 1988 and co-written by Ice Cube.posted by jedicus at 3:09 PM on January 27, 2012 [16 favorites]

I still want to visit the parallel universe where Ice Cube starred in Independence Day instead of Will Smith.posted by adamdschneider at 3:12 PM on January 27, 2012 [5 favorites]

Yeah...stumbling home, drunk and trying to read a great book. And it just blows up!
(that would kind of ruin my day)posted by iamkimiam at 3:21 PM on January 27, 2012 [2 favorites]

Slate is now asking Goodyear to confirm the location of their west coast blimp on January 20, 1992.posted by thecjm at 3:24 PM on January 27, 2012 [8 favorites]

When was The Necronomicon released?posted by mannequito at 3:27 PM on January 27, 2012

Or maybe the beep from Kim was analog-style...a Road Runner-esque sound effect as she zooms by!posted by iamkimiam at 3:28 PM on January 27, 2012 [3 favorites]

aw, i never noticed before that his wife is kim. i was thinking that if is good day was in january of '92, then he might be in trouble because he got married in '92, but now i'm just gonna believe the most likely scenario which is that his lady was the one on the beeper. that's pretty romantic.posted by nadawi at 3:40 PM on January 27, 2012 [8 favorites]

The obvious solution: Our civilization needs to embark on a massive project to change the historical record so that beepers were invented in 1990, and eradicate all information that shows otherwise.

It will be hard, but it's for the benefit of future generations.posted by Flunkie at 3:42 PM on January 27, 2012 [2 favorites]

I've never seen that video before, but that Impala is SLAMMINposted by exogenous at 4:01 PM on January 27, 2012

Lil Joe could not be reached for comment.posted by Eideteker at 4:03 PM on January 27, 2012

"Are We There Yet" is Ice Cube shooting up all of Burhanistan's childhood hopes and dreams in a cross-country family comedy drive-by, and that's straight gangsta.posted by Hoopo at 4:28 PM on January 27, 2012 [5 favorites]

To be fair, if your experience of Tron was based purely on the scene where Michael Sheen plays David Bowie playing Ziggy Stardust playing Age of Apocalypse Warren Worthington playing Peter Gatien, you would think of it as a very different film.

What's the paper that guy is reading, with the headline "Africa's Misery"?posted by kenko at 5:18 PM on January 27, 2012

the line is Plus nobody I know got killed in South Central L.A. which doesn't mean no one got killed in south central - just none of his buddies.posted by nadawi at 5:29 PM on January 27, 2012 [2 favorites]

We got some tru 2 da game fools gonna tell us who's real or not. Who cares, Friday gives him a lifetime pass. Not like there are lots of roles to pick from in the first place.posted by narcoleptic at 5:58 PM on January 27, 2012 [4 favorites]

This is fucking amazing.posted by sperose at 6:20 PM on January 27, 2012

Lil Joe could not be reached for comment.

Little Joe is a 4 by way of double 2s in craps.posted by P.o.B. at 6:22 PM on January 27, 2012

Is there a name for this type of research, deducing real-life particulars from supposed fiction? Like that fellow figuring out just how many days Phil Connors spent in Punxsutawney? I'd like to believe there are other good examples of this out there. Do we know of any off hand?posted by klausman at 6:43 PM on January 27, 2012 [3 favorites]

Considering the cyclical nature of technology, vis-a-vis beepers, I'm willing to trust the 1990 date. This is news we can use, people.

There is no accounting for no barking from Ice Cube's dog or his mama cooking breakfast with no hog. I demand further investigation.posted by reenum at 6:58 PM on January 27, 2012 [1 favorite]

So national good day day comes less than a week after the most depressing day of the year?

If the most depressing day of the year is Blue Monday, and the perfect day comes shortly after, the perfect day is Goodbye Blue Monday, alternately known as Breakfast of Champions.posted by NoraReed at 7:07 PM on January 27, 2012 [4 favorites]

the state of the music industry circa 1993: at the time, Seattle's grunge aesthetic ruled the airwaves, but in the long run Cube knew that the gangsta rap movement spawned in the Los Angeles area would eventually dethrone it...

I dunno, that's not really what happened I don't think. 1992 and 1993 were great years for rap, but gangsta rap was alreday a big deal by the time Snoop Dogg arrived. Plus back then the Sonics were actually a far better team than the Lakers and it would have been an underdog victory. So I'm inclined to go with it's just a cigar.posted by Hoopo at 7:13 PM on January 27, 2012 [1 favorite]

I've always felt I lacked some essential understanding when it came to the line about breakfast with no hog. In my book, breakfast with hog (bacon, ham, sausage) is certainly cause for a good day!posted by whitneyarner at 11:59 AM on January 28, 2012

I've been thinking about that line and I think, given the context of being a kid growing up in poverty, he means that no one was around to or no one did hog all the food.posted by cmoj at 12:16 PM on January 28, 2012

Abstaining from pork was a thing in hip-hop circles at the time – one of those doctrines from the Nation of Islam that became part of popular culture.posted by furiousthought at 12:29 PM on January 28, 2012 [4 favorites]

First off there is no way he would have tried to put out "Good Day" before the predator. The production of the song was part of the rivalry with Dre/Snoops success. His earlier production was produced by the Bomb Squad (public enemy), or Sir Jinx (who just produced like the Bomb Squad). Pagers being available before is irrelevant. Everything about that song is early 90s.

So, 1/20/1992 it is! I wish someone had done this legwork earlier in the month, and we could have celebrated this year, on the 20th annual Good Day day.

Eazy-E recruited Cube into N.W.A. as a writer at 15-16, because he had a reputation for being smart. From then on, he wrote 66-75% of the bands lyrics, and was the only one to turn down a $75,000 check from Jerry Heller to sign the band.

He struck out solo, ended the 90's with more platinum's behind him than any other rapper (though Jay-Z has doubled that number).

After Boyz-n-the-Hood, he started his own film production company, owns the movies he makes, and has _never_ _lost_ _money_ _on_ _a_ _project_.

Compare that to the other members of NWA:
Eazy: RIP
Dre: Ripped off repeatedly, and left with nothing. Repeatedly. Even with his overwhelming success, there are big parts of his career that he does not receive money or royalties for. He is fine now, but almost exclusively with eminem, and pick-up production joints. It took him at least 10 years and 3 labels to wise up to the level Cube was when he was 17.
Ren: Underrated MC, MIA since 1997.
NightTrain: dead
Yella: MIA since ...
Arabian Prince: MIA since "Panic Zone" (before Cube, NWA was a collective that did club/dance music, among other things)

This sellout talk is nonsense. The Black Eyed Peas are sellouts. Ice Cube is a cultural fucking juggernaut. Sure, he's been in some crappy movies (though the J-Lo/Cube/Voight "Anaconda" and Henstridge/Cube/Carpenter "Ghosts of Mars" are solid b-movie schlock that get an unfair amount of hate for being b-movies. Seriously, a 90's john carpenter movie starring the Species chick about a haunted train? You were expecting Black Swan?), and he's made some crappy albums (for me, canon ends with Lethal Injection, though he is still active).

For a good 6 years, he was the loudest, smartest, angriest motherfucker with a voice, and he didn't flinch. He said things that hurt to hear, he gave a voice to some ugly truths in America at the time. He stayed where he was, and used his success to improve his surroundings. He's still doing that.

So, now he's 42. Rappers his age are dying from cough syrup OD's, Ice-T plays a cop on TV and gets in a youtube fight with soulja boy, Dre's protege is out of rehab and has Bruno Mars autotuning his hooks.

He's got fame, fortune, and family, and y'all call him a sell-out because he's not dripping in activator, talking about moving weight in Minnesota any more? How long would that have actually flown?

No, he's using his power and influence to create parts of culture that show that American urban blacks aren't just drug-dealers, junkies, ex-cons, philanderers, or perpetual victims of their inescapable circumstance. He's doing that without the alternate-reality upper class aspirations of Fresh Prince or the Cosby show. Yes, there are elements of crime and poverty, but that isn't the message.

And he's doing that without putting on a fat suit, a dress, or bludgeoning you with a bible.

There is no working-class mainstream entertainment in America anymore. There was Roseanne, there was Roc. That's pretty much it. TV has been Cop/Medical dramas, rich white people talking about their feelings (even if their jobs have working class titles, this isn't reflected in their lifestyle, or even apartments).

Cube is making movies that show black folks as honest, hardworking, and valuing family, community, having a sense of humor, and not getting pulled down by the bullshit around you.

He's making things he can show his kids that _did_ _not_ _exist_ when he was a kid.

Things that aren't science fiction.

He's depicting black people as _people_, and there is very, very little of that, even in 2012.

It might not be your demographic, but don't think for a minute that O'Shea Jackson (named after OJ Simpson, no less) doesn't know exactly what he is doing, or that he doesn't give a fuck and is only in it for the money.

So put the top down, get a Fat Burger, and throw them bones. Breathe deep. Who knows, maybe that girl you liked in high school will finallypage text you.

If anything lodges into culture from the last 40 years of hip-hop, I'd rather have an unofficial holiday dedicated to things being good than have a resurgence of the gumby, national hennessey/tommy hilfiger/swaaaag/whatever else day.

lkc, I've been around here since damn near day one. That may be the greatest comment ever posted on this site, and that's saying something.posted by Optamystic at 4:01 PM on January 28, 2012 [6 favorites]

lkc: word. (okay, now I feel like the character that Neil Patrick Harris played in "Undercover Brother")

I'm not really a fan of most R&B, hiphop, or rap, but there's some of Ice Cube's work that I'll crank up whenever it comes on. He also manages to pull off "gangsta thug" and "friendly normal guy that would be fun to hang out with" simultaneously.posted by mrbill at 4:21 PM on January 28, 2012

Ripped off repeatedly, and left with nothing. Repeatedly. Even with his overwhelming success, there are big parts of his career that he does not receive money or royalties for. He is fine now, but almost exclusively with eminem, and pick-up production joints.

Dre is considerably better than fine. In 2011, HTC bought a 51% stake in his beats audio startup for $300 million. So, he probably got at least half of that (Beats having been cofounded with Jimmy Iovine), and his remaining stake in Beats is of considerable value - greater now, since the manufacturing deal with Monster pushed them to 53% of the US headphone market. The deal with Monster is terminating at the end of this year, which means he will be able to lease production rights for a brand that near-guarantees a giant pop in market share of a premium product.

Dre and Cube have both learned that the regular arrangement didn't serve them well, andhave responded in different ways. Cube paying for his own production costs on "Laugh Now, Cry Later" in 2006, holding on to the US music licensing rights and using a label as a distribution channel was ahead of the curve - and means he made the money on ring tones and licensing deals, not EMI. Dre, meanwhile, is I think likely to make a lot of money from finding a way to make his brand work for people who might download their music for free, but will still spend $300 on a pair of headphones.posted by running order squabble fest at 5:54 PM on January 28, 2012 [6 favorites]

Not much to add to ikc's comment except to say that I met Ice Cube briefly about 4 or 5 years ago, at a liquor store in North Vancouver. For a gangster rapper turned Hollywood movie star, the guy was amazingly nice and obliging to everyone approaching him. He asked his small entourage to go grab coffees so he could spend 15 minutes hanging out, posing for pictures and signing autographs.posted by mannequito at 6:40 PM on January 28, 2012 [4 favorites]

Oh completely. I absolutely don't want to undercut his success, business acumen, or talent. Hell, Cube opened for Dre and Eminem in the Chronic 2001 tour. I'm saying: Cube understood the business and made it work for him from the get-go, and did it in a way that was not self-destructive (see: Eazy-E, Suge Knight) . Dre was trusting and his talent was exploited by self-destructive people in the business (see: Eazy-E, Suge Knight).

That _never_ stopped him, and he's been kicking the shit out of hip-hop radio almost since there was a thing.

Dre's got a lot, and he deserves every last Bentley, but there were a lot of shitty people who have percentages on his old, influential work. Some of the same people who had angles on Tupac.

Dre's producing and packaging talent is immense.
In 20 years there will be Harvard Business School studies on the marketing of Eminem.

(I hope that didn't sound fighty, lkc - I don't disagree at all with your analysis, although I haven't seen enough Ice Cube movies to validate your hypothesis. I just think the way Dre has come back from his early misadeventures is interesting in itself...)posted by running order squabble fest at 5:36 AM on January 29, 2012

Don't forget Three Kings! not at all a crappy movie, but a legitimate critical smash hit, a mainstream movie with a strong political message, that turned a OK, not great, profit at the box office.posted by Bwithh at 9:42 AM on January 29, 2012 [3 favorites]

Wasn't there a MeFi post of a critical essay about Ice Cube's movies not too long ago? (I can't find it now.)posted by epersonae at 10:19 AM on January 30, 2012

I came for the Good Day Day, and stayed for the Wicked critical analysis. Like Ice-T once said about MC Hammer... "a lot of people dis you, man, but they just jealous. Fuck em."posted by Potomac Avenue at 2:01 PM on January 30, 2012 [1 favorite]

Wow. Sidebarred. At last my unhinged ranting gets some recognition!

I'd have double-checked my grammar.

--

I would have made a joke here, if I wasn't 13 in 1992.
posted by iamkimiam at 6:57 AM on January 28 [1 favorite +] [!]

Dude, I was 13 in 1992.
Thats the perfect age to start listening to Ice Cube.
Especially since thats the year he dropped 'The Predator'.
(I'm a white kid from the woods in Washington, btw. I didn't even have MTv. Or cable. That's how loud motherfucking Ice Cube was).

--
Wasn't there a MeFi post of a critical essay about Ice Cube's movies not too long ago? (I can't find it now.)
posted by epersonae at 3:19 AM on January 31 [+] [!]

I would love to see that, didn't find anything through google or mefi search.

--(I hope that didn't sound fighty, lkc - I don't disagree at all with your analysis, although I haven't seen enough Ice Cube movies to validate your hypothesis. I just think the way Dre has come back from his early misadeventures is interesting in itself...)
posted by running order squabble fest at 10:36 PM on January 29 [+] [!]

Not at all. (fighty, I mean)

I see Dre's early career as Pooh Bear trying to negotiate with a hornets nest. Why the hell would someone want to fuck him over and rip him off?

People found a reason.

Those people are dead or went to jail.

Oh yeah, and after that, he kept pulling random rappers out of the underground and giving them careers. Y'know, people like XZibit, 50 Cent, and Eminem.

Not to mention, each of those artists are from entirely different areas, and

Like I said, "Doctor Dre" will be a class in Business school.

But, this is a thread about Ice Cube.

The rest belongs in a celebration of "Dre day" 2012.

peace.

*(yes, Xzibit has had much more success than that.
I just love that he is an internet LOLcat, and the GBC is tits!)posted by lkc at 3:42 AM on January 31, 2012 [7 favorites]

pps I saw Ice Cube at Lollapalooza in 1992 and it remains the best rap performance I have ever ever seen live. (And I saw Aceyalone on the ABDB tour (2nd Place).) Cube got the whole (suburban, teenage) audience to jump up and down with their middle fingers in the air screaming FUCK YOU ICE CUBE as he did Big Black Boots. Ridiculous.posted by Potomac Avenue at 4:33 AM on January 31, 2012 [2 favorites]

Mister Fabulous: That shits nonsense. He got a page from Kim, but the gal he dug out was someone he'd been trying to hit since the 12th grade.posted by lkc at 12:36 PM on January 31, 2012

I'm down with the 11/30/88 crew. Makes much more sense given the timeline of Cube's life.posted by Rock Steady at 1:01 PM on January 31, 2012

I gotta say, I was wary at first but Deadspin's analysis won me over. I'm in with the 11/30/88 analysis. Plus, if we're making an official holiday out of this (which we're obviously going to do, Lana) I'd rather it no coincide with Inauguration Day, but rather stand on its own and occasionally coincide with Thanksgiving, which makes a nice bit of sense to me.

bu lkc is obviously our resident cube expert, so why do you not agree with the Deadspin logic?posted by Navelgazer at 1:59 PM on January 31, 2012 [1 favorite]

I was wary at first but Deadspin's analysis won me over

To clarify, much like most of its posts, Deadspin did no analysis at all, simply reposted the writeups that other people did..posted by inigo2 at 4:48 PM on January 31, 2012

Navelgazer: Like I said, he "got a beep from Kim, and she can fuck all night". The Colbuffington Deadspin says that it wouldn't happen, because she was pregnant. The third verse of the song is not about Kim. Its about a girl he'd been trying to bang since the 12th grade.

In fact, there is nothing incongruous about Deadspin saying he couldn't have sex with Kim, his long time partner, and him picking up a different girl. If anything, that makes 1992 more likely.

The day didn't happen in november of 1988 for one very good reason: Straight Outta Compton came out in August of 1988. There is no fucking way that Ice Cube was 2 months out of writing and releasing the all-time revolutionary gangsta album, and just hanging out, not a care in the world. Its even less likely that he wrote such a soft radio joint while touring and promoting Straight Outta Compton, leaving NWA, getting signed to priority, hooking up with Public Enemy and getting Sir Jinx up to speed on bombastic producing, releasing 3 more platinum albums, and then just shucking some old shit on The Predator.

In fact, since his first EP was produced by Public Enemy's team (west coast production was shored up by Dre), and he brought Jinx from NWA, who started producing like the Bomb Squad, there actually wasn't a single beat or pretense of doing a song like this. How many chilled out "hey, everything is pretty awesome" songs did you hear from PE before 1992?

Exactly, "By the Time I Get To Arizona," is the only uplifting song PE did, where they murder a bunch of racist Arizona politicians, in 1991. Still, it was pretty hard edged.

He was not writing shit about having a good day on "Kill at Will" or "Amerikkka's Most Wanted". "Death Certificate" had the "Life Side", but the most positive thing on that is "Doing Dumb Shit", where he makes it pretty clear that he was the most baddass 10-year old there ever was.

Seriously, thats the same side of the album that has "Black Korea". Thats the _positive_ side of the record.

There is not a damn thing smiling about Ice Cube before 1992.

Its pretty clear that "It was a good day" was a foray into something new.

Those two songs have more in common than anything he did before The Predator.

Thats not an expert opinion, just listen to the damn albums. Actually, just read the tracklist or wikipedia.

Also, if you watch The Boondocks, there is a neverending rainbow of Ice Cube references (and the occasional Wu-Tang). Everything from Jon Witherspoon (the dad in friday), constantly mixing up his roles, to the satirical Tyler Perry demanding his followers "renounce the works of Ice Cube", to Ruckus' "Ain't no one talking when I'm talking fellas" from the opening of The Predator.

I alway thought the "Hey wait, wait a minute Pooh, stop this shit. What the fuck I'm thinkin' about?" at the end of the track signified that this good day was all just a daydream.posted by Kiwi at 6:46 AM on February 1, 2012

In fact, there is nothing incongruous about Deadspin saying he couldn't have sex with Kim, his long time partner, and him picking up a different girl. If anything, that makes 1992 more likely.

But Cube has always been famously faithful, so it seems unlikely he would sleep around on Kim just before they got married.

The day didn't happen in november of 1988 for one very good reason: Straight Outta Compton came out in August of 1988.

Yeah, but it didn't chart until 1989, so clearly there was a ramp-up period.

Its pretty clear that "It was a good day" was a foray into something new.

That's why it took three years to make it onto an album.

The biggest flaw in the 1992 theory is that he was no longer living at his Mom's house, so she wouldn't have a chance to make him that famous breakfast.

Y'know, not everything in the song necessarily happened, and even if it did, not necessarily on the same day.

Well of course. It is very likely that this is just a daydream of the perfect day, and that there is no specific date. BUT, couldn't you see Cube getting home in the early morning after a day like this, pulling out a notebook and jotting down some lyrics? He realizes that this song is not NWA material so it gets set aside, but when he is working on his solo albums he goes through some old stuff and finds this song, and the rest is history.

How about you Ironsides, you rolling dirty?posted by Rock Steady at 6:51 AM on February 1, 2012

What I want to know is whether that other guy's old man really kicked the bucket on September third.posted by hatchiban at 1:12 PM on February 1, 2012

I'm down with the 11/30/88 crew. Makes much more sense given the timeline of Cube's life.

What year did he graduate from high school? He references someone he'd wanted to get with "since 12th grade."

He was born on June 15, 1969. So he probably graduated from high school in either 1987 or 1988. "Since 12th grade" implies some significant passage of time from the end of high school to the time of the Good Day. Therefore, 1988 doesn't make sense.posted by The World Famous at 2:16 PM on February 1, 2012 [2 favorites]

I agree with lkc's assertion. Besides, he gave Blender's M interview in 1995 to Michael O'Dell wherein he specifically talks about this song that's referenced all over the Internet - though I can't find a direct link to the interview transcript or video itself, if accurate, the Blender reviews blog also cites this text, so I'm inclined to give it the benefit of the doubt. Anyway, this is what Cube himself says about the song's inspiration:

"The inspiration was my life at the time ... I was at the top of the rap game. It was the summer of ’92 and I was in a hotel room, really in a state of euphoria. I had all the money I had dreamed of. I was in a good frame of mind. And I remember thinking, ‘Okay, there’s been the riots, people know I will deal with that. That’s a given. But I rap all this gangsta stuff – what about all the good days I had?"

Folks, it's an allusion to an amalgamation of ideas representative of a subverted ideal of a "good day". The content isn't about a good day, it's about living in a fucked up world - where it is a good day in the absence of that fucked-upness.

Not that you can't proceed to argue about trivial matters, but at least realize he could've written a song in '92 about a day he remembered in '88. Or the fact that the third verse could very well be about Kim, as the implication is there. Also, it does have a storytelling narrative from morning to night, which backs up that implication. Just try to keep the dubiousity level a little lower in here.

I alway thought the "Hey wait, wait a minute Pooh, stop this shit. What the fuck I'm thinkin' about?" at the end of the track signified that this good day was all just a daydream.

You would think the Scarface reference of a blimp talking specifically about your prowess would be a tipoff.posted by P.o.B. at 5:18 PM on February 1, 2012 [1 favorite]

You would think the Scarface reference of a blimp talking specifically about your prowess would be a tipoff.

Paul/Cube 2012! Champions of Liberty!
(you want to talk fanboys? Ron Paul fans mint currency with his face on it and call them Liberty Dollars!!! If Ron Pauls revolution comes, Ill be on Cube's side.)

Also, cortex, I know that was a joke. Its the same reason Ron Paul has been my favorite politician for almost a decade. Romney has a lot of dollars, but he doesn't have any militia "ROMNEY DOLLARS" that you can negotiate for a sack of feed in Wyoming.

Unicorn on the cob: excellent! Like I said: pissed off 17 year old Ice Cube vs 5x platinum Ice Cube. The former could give a shit about a good day. It was revelation to the latter.

Rock Steady:But Cube has always been famously faithful, so it seems unlikely he would sleep around on Kim just before they got married.

This "famously faithful" thing is new to me. I'm not saying he isn't, but that is not what he is famous for. In fact, I can't think of a single Cube song (remember: canon for me ends with Lethal Injection) that is about anything in the same freaking city as him being a faithful dude. Granted, he didn't do gratuitoussex songs, or shit about how many groupies he banged, but he also didn't do shit like Black Shampoo[lol].

He just didn't do songs about his personal relationships. If this is an important and well-known fact about him this is the first I've heard.

Honestly, until the blogger "refuting" the original thread popped up, Cube's fidelity had _never_ entered the picture. Good on him for keeping his personal life personal, but I'll be damned if he's "famously faithful".

Yeah, but [straight outta compton] didn't chart until 1989, so clearly there was a ramp-up period.

Exactly, that ramp up, was those guys heavily promoting the album, not just fucking around playing dice.

Well of course. It is very likely that this is just a daydream of the perfect day, and that there is no specific date. BUT, couldn't you see Cube getting home in the early morning after a day like this, pulling out a notebook and jotting down some lyrics? He realizes that this song is not NWA material so it gets set aside, but when he is working on his solo albums he goes through some old stuff and finds this song, and the rest is history.

If you are not a hip-hop nerd, may I suggest you start? You'd be good at it. I recommend J-Zones book as an excellent primer.

How about you Ironsides, you rolling dirty?
The fuck is Murder She Wrote? She's still alive and could get to the bottom of this in a minute.posted by lkc at 2:59 AM on February 10, 2012 [2 favorites]

Wait, Seriously?
You think "No Vaseline" makes him "douche of the century"?posted by lkc at 2:30 AM on February 13, 2012

I wouldn't call him "douche of the century" but your reverence for the guy is really kind of misplaced. So he can turn nickels into dimes purveying pandering mediocre entertainment. Meh.posted by Burhanistan at 3:26 AM on February 13, 2012

I'd say his Twitter fight with Aimee Mann was a rather more notable achievement.posted by mykescipark at 7:30 PM on February 13, 2012

You think "No Vaseline" makes him "douche of the century"?

Yes, I say! Worse than Hitler!

Or, at least, that song would appear to indicate that the two share an interest in homophobia and anti-semitism. So, uh, yeah. Yay, Ice Cube?
Next up - rap music! It's really misogynistic, and how come they get to call each other words I can't use?

Yeah, or, you know, like that thing I said: One particular rapper recorded one particular track that was really incredibly inexcusably atrocious.posted by Sys Rq at 9:07 PM on February 13, 2012

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